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Top Notch Dealer in Brandon, MS.

Most bicycle dealers have a passion for the business. I think recumbent bicycle dealers take it up a notch. Then there are few that like to take it up even further by sponsoring a weekly Saturday morning Bread Ride and a couple of very successful organized rides a year. Jim Snider of Ride South, www.ridesouth.com, is one of those dealers.

The last few years I have had the pleasure of being able to attend the Birthday Challenge Ride on the Longleaf Trace in the Fall. In March, Jim puts on the Ride South Signature Ride. The main portion of the Signature Ride begins on Saturday riding from Ride South in Brandon MS to Hattiesburg MS. Jim starts the weekend off with a gathering at Ride South on Thursday evening to discuss long distance cycling. It is a refresher course for those who are doing the longer rides on Saturday and Sunday but it also provides tips and suggestions for future ultra-riders. Jim covers the basics of good bicycle maintenance to make certain it is not the bicycle that does not allow you to accomplish your goal. Jacquie Hafner, Team Bacchetta Sebring 24 hour record holder (516.4 miles) and I joined in the discussion sharing our experiences with long distance riding.

Jim Snider heading to Hattiesburg on his CA 2.0

Friday evening includes one more meeting of the riders to nail down any last minute details and coordinate the arrival of riders from Hattiesburg to Prentiss where all riders meet up for a lunch stop and then ride the Long Leaf Trace back to Hattiesburg for the wine and cheese party ending with dinner at a nearby restaurant.

The ride travels fairly light traffic roads and picks up the Long Leaf Trace in Prentiss MS. The 119 mile ride has a few bumps but that makes a nice change from riding around the west coast of Florida. After a relaxing Saturday evening at the Holiday Inn with some wine, beer and cheese some of the crew chose to ride back to Brandon the next morning on a more easterly route that does manage to gain almost 300 feet more for the ten mile less long course.

Ride South is a full service bicycle shop that sells all types of bicycles. It is evident though that in Jim’s preferred choice of ride is recumbent and his Bacchetta CA 2.0 is nicely decked out with some personal touches. Over half of the bikes ridden were Bacchetta’s!

We all know these events cannot happen unless someone like Jim has support. Behind every good man is a great woman, Lane, Jim’s wife. The fan club of ” legendary Jim Snider” (as the reporter said who was interviewing Jim in Prentiss), Beth and Captain Johnny Rawls, Liz, Louis, Chad and the two Mississippi motorcycle Highway Patrolmen made for a great weekend.

Doug Mrogan taking a break after drafting Jacquie Hafner for the last 30 miles.

If you get the chance or need an excuse to go do some great riding head to Ride South, a dealer with a passion.

I would like to thank Jim and Ride South for his continue support of Bacchetta Bicycles and being a sponsor for our Team Bacchetta RAAM riding for Kids with Arthritis efforts in June, www.TeamBacchettaRAAM.com

About John Schlitter

Been riding since I was able to ride my older sister’s 26 wheel bikes at about the age 4 or 5. I made a deal with my dad if he bought me my first ten speed I would paint the house and ride it to school everyday (freshman year of high school). He got a pretty good deal for buying a use Schwinn Varsity for 75.00. That was the start of true freedom,. Three of us hopped on our ten speeds and rode the hundred miles over to Salina KS to see a girl my brother had met from Salina. First long ride I did.